thursday 7|3

Fight Club

RIOT AT THE HYATT There's nothing quite like a boxing match, especially a live boxing match. You can actually see the sweat spray off a boxer's head when he gets punched extra hard and his neck snaps back. Blood also sprays into the air. There's lots of spitting and of course, the spectacle of two people pummeling one another toward unconsciousness. It's what you might call a sport with few excuses. At the Hyatt, fights are scheduled in the heavyweight, junior welterweight and superflyweight divisions as well as a bout featuring Watsonville female boxer, Corina Moreno. [AS]

Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout at 7:30pm. Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt-Regency Monterey. Ringside tickets/$75, preferred reserve/$50 and reserve/$35. For tickets call 372-1234 or 688-1604.

friday 7|4

The One That Got Away

BIG FISH DERBY Get out yer tackle box and rod, your cooler and your sunscreen. It's summer and it's time to go fishing. The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project, a non profit group that raises endangered Coho salmon and threatened steelhead trout, is sponsoring its 9th Annual Fish Derby lasting over three days this weekend. Prizes for the heaviest halibut, salmon, tuna or sea bass. The angler with the heaviest three-day total wins a trip to Baja. There's also a raffle. With prizes. Just leave the endangered fish in the water. [AS]

Weigh stations in Monterey, Moss Landing or Santa Cruz harbors. Tickets are $15/day or $35/three days. Buy tickets at Bay Side Marine, Ernie's Casting Pond, Outdoor World, West Marine, Salinas Tackle Box or Shamrock Fishing. 688-4257 or www.mbstp.org.

Proud To Be Our Kind of American

4TH OF JULY FIESTAS All the key ideas are flagged here: fireworks, food, music, a day off from work, but most importantly, we've got a chance as a community to think about what type of American values really make us proud. Contemplate civil liberties vs. homeland security while you're chomping on some dogs and burgers.

At the Salinas Sports Complex, music by the Turtles, a kids' program and a professional skateboard demonstration acts as a prelude to the big fireworks display. Lots of food and family stuff to do.

Gates open at 4pm (no entrance after 9pm), music at 4:30pm, fireworks at 9:15pm. 1034 North Main St., Salinas. $15/box seats, adults/$10, $5/child/senior, under five and active military are free. 775-3113.

Celebrate July 4 Spreckels style, like the tiny town's residents have been since 1970 (minus the fireworks). The party's thrown by the Spreckels Volunteer Fire Company, and highlights include a 10K run at 9am, children's parade at noon, live music, a crafts fair and the annual Fireman's Muster at 1pm. Events take place in and around Spreckels Memorial Park, 3rd and Llano avenues, Spreckels. For complete schedule, or to register, call 455-2211.

Pacific Grove's Picnic in Caledonia Park, from 11am-2pm, is great for little kids. No scary fireworks, and there will be games and $5 covers a BBQ lunch and music by Kelley and the Beach Combers. Caledonia Park is behind the Post Office on Central Avenue. 373-3304.

There's nothing quite like an old-fashioned, family style July 4 celebration--especially if it's in Carmel. Festivities begin at 1pm, and include entertainment by Sound Bytes and others, a welcome by Mayor Sue McCloud, games, food and fun. Devendorf Park, Junipero and Ocean avenues, Carmel, 620-2020.

Monterey's Flag Raising Ceremony starts at 10am, with an hour-long parade to follow. At 11am, a giant BBQ on Colton Hall lawn with all-day live music from John "Broadway" Tucker, and others, jams during a happy birthday Monterey ceremony with free cake for all. Food for sale or picnicking encouraged while kids get free face painting and free carnival games. No booze allowed. And oh say, you can see the Fireworks over Monterey Bay, at 9:15pm. Parking limited. Pack in/pack out your own trash. 646-3427. [BW and JL]

Better Than Band Camp

JAZZ FLUTIST ALI RYERSON Some people celebrate the 4th of July with domestic beer and weenie roasts. Do something different this year and watch renowned jazz flutist Ali Ryerson after a salmon barbecue at Carmel Valley's Hidden Valley Theater. "This is one of the extraordinary flutists who made the transition from being a classical player to being a jazz player," says Hidden Valley director Peter Meckel. [ST]

4pm. Hidden Valley Music Seminars, Carmel Valley and Ford roads, Carmel Valley. $15/jazz, $20/barbecue, $35/jazz and barbecue. 659-3115.

Back In Time

MONTEREY LIVING HISTORY DAY Forget Survivor. How about learning to live in 1840s Monterey? One of the highlights of the 10th annual Living History Day is learning to march and drill with an Army regiment. Other family activities that will test your frontier skills and creativity include embroidery, corn-grinding, rope-making, and baking in a horno (small brick oven). Some more relaxing fun involves listening to stories and making children's crafts. The 1st New York Volunteer regiment (who whips you into shape for the marching) also performs a reenactment of life in Monterey 150 years ago. All this takes place at the Cooper-Molera Adobe after the traditional Monterey 4th of July parade. [CC]

12:30-4:30pm. 525 Polk St. (Polk, Munras and Alvarado intersection), Monterey. $2/adults, $1/children. 647-6226.

saturday 7|5

Renaissance Man

AN HOUR WITH DA VINCI Master of disguises Taelan Thomas, known in these parts for his one-man portrayals of famous artists and ruffians of the past, takes to the stage at Carmel's Cherry Center in his latest incarnation as Leonardo DaVinci. Whilst garbed in the height of late 15th-century fashion, Taelan/Leo will discuss what it was like to be an illegitimate, left-handed country boy who grew up to be one of the most inventive geniuses in history. Expect plenty of humorous stories. [SF]

7:30pm tonight and July 12. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Guadalupe and 4th, Carmel. $10. 649-0259.

The Day After

FESTIVAL OF PATRIOTS PARADE It's the day after the 4th, and you're feeling a bit woozy from yesterday's excitement, but also bummed because you couldn't pack in all the events around town. Seaside smartly holds their Independence Day parade on the 5th, and has music by the Monterey Bay Symphony to follow with tunes celebrating our freedoms. [BW]

11am. Parade starts at Broadway Avenue and Fremont Street, Seaside, and moves south on Fremont to Harcourt. Monterey Bay Symphony performs at Seaside City Hall on Canyon Del Rey Boulevard, Seaside, at 2pm. Practice session open to public at 10:30am. Free. 899-6805.

Raw Music

SUSHIROBO SHOW Sushirobo is not your typical rock band. The group uses its double guitar attack to create otherworldly sounds while singer Arthur Roberts sings strange songs like "Rat Or Mole?" and "Royal Taster of Food." Despite sounding like an acquired taste, Sushirobo crafts catchy songs beneath all the spacey effects. [ST]

9pm. Viva Monterey, 414 Alvarado St., Monterey. No cover. 646-1415.

Take A Lickin'

THE COWLICKS AT HENRY MILLER LIBRARY It is hard to believe that a band from the East Bay could sound like an authentic country band. With songs about evil women and driving to the quarry, the Cowlicks definitely know their country roots, but their catchy, simple tunes are also likely to impress Garth-hating rock music fans. Sit back and listen to the Cowlicks do their twang under the Henry Miller Library's redwoods. [ST]

3pm. Henry Miller Library, 30 miles south of Carmel on Highway 1, Big Sur. $10. 667-2574.

sunday 7|6

Land, Ho!

SLOAT LANDING CEREMONY Commodore John Drake Sloat must have entered Monterey harbor with great trepidation 157 years ago today, with orders to capture the Mexican-held town for the United States. After all, just four years earlier another Navy captain had done the same thing--and had to return the city to Mexico, because the two countries weren't really at war. Oops! But Sloat's orders were right, America won the war, and California passed into US hands. Every year since 1931 (except during World War II), Monterey celebrates Sloat's fortuitous victory with a recreation of his historic landing in front of the Custom House, followed by a ceremony and reception at the Maritime Museum. Too bad we don't get the 100 Marines parading down Calle Principal playing "Yankee Doodle Dandy," like they did in 1846. [SF]

2pm landing ceremony. Custom House, at the foot of Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey. Free. 372-2608.

Park Bench Blues

BLUES IN THE PARK Seaside's recreation coordinator Dave Pacheco says the city tries to find a blockbuster show to commence the Sunday Blues series every summer. Double headliners Shane Dwight Band and John Lee Hooker Jr. are just the ticket. Hooker plays blues like his father, but he also tosses in some R & B and jazz to create his own sound. The Central Coast's Dwight has been called the new Stevie Ray. Enjoy two of blues music's up and coming stars in an idyllic park setting. [ST]

1pm. Laguna Grande Park, corner of Canyon del Rey and Harcourt, Seaside. 899-6805.

He Wrote A Book Too

BRUCE FORMAN BOOKSIGNING In keeping with his mischievous character, jazz guitarist Bruce Forman has subtitled his newest, and first, book, "a tale of Eros, Enlightenment and Embezzlement." The Carmel Valley musician, who has been getting kids excited about jazz for years (see story, pg. 20), tries his hand at the literary genre with the release of Trust Me, a semi-autobiographical adventure through the West Coast jazz scene. See Forman read, hear Forman play (he's a multitalented guy)! Of course, you'll want to buy the book to get it signed, and donations are welcome. [CC]

2pm. Henry Miller Library lawn, Highway 1 south of Nepenthe restaurant, Big Sur. 667-2574.